... to think that the (presumably) adults that use Mumsnet spend far too much tome cringing

[Rockbird]

Everything you can think of, from parking to parties, shopping to sausages, there are always posters that cringe. I think I've cringed about twice in my 48 years. What's the matter with you all?

Oh and when something does make you cringe, it's cringey or cringeworthy not bloody cringe. Cringe is what you do.

I'm cringing at the spelling mistake and lack of question mark in your title, when your second para condemns poor grammar

There is absolutely nothing incorrect about using the term 'cringe', it's a noun, an act of cringing.

I think there's something very British about cringing. I do like a cringe - but far too many people let minor things affect them to the point even years later they'll remember the time someone had their flies undone whilst giving a presentation or something.

So what is some do?

OK, I share your dislike of the speech habit. But none of it’s serious

They are always cringing or fuming

No of course it's not serious, but there is a lot of cringing . Alas they cringe like...

Oh thats so cringe.

And having said all this, DH came upstairs just as I posted the OP, with his arms shrunk into his shoulders with cringing over something he'd said to the dishwasher repair man

I prefer a bit of cringing to calling people ‘vile’, which seems to happen a lot on here.

Oh I’m cringing for you, OP. Imagine making a post about people having a good old cringe. cringe

And having said all this, DH came upstairs just as I posted the OP, with his arms shrunk into his shoulders with cringing over something he'd said to the dishwasher repair man

Now you’re going to have to tell us what he said, so we can judge wether it was cringe worthy.

I agree. Cringe is not an adjective.

I am always cringing reading stuff on here. When I am not eye rolling, tutting and thinking 'well that never happened'.

I cringe in RL too, maybe some people are more susceptible to it. Maybe there's a blood test for it?

I also agree that 'to cringe' is a verb and therfore denotes an action. Something can't be described as 'cringe', because it isn't an adjective.

@BossAssBitch There is quite a difference between using word classes incorrectly based on their functions and making a typographical error because 'i' and 'o' are side by side on a (likely touchscreen) keyboard.

Now you’re going to have to tell us what he said, so we can judge whether it was cringe worthy.

Yes, you must!

I ‘cringe’ every day !
I’ll seize up if I don’t find at least one ‘cringeworthy thing every 24 hours but that’s not happened yet!

If you're going to attack people, at least make sure you have spelt everything correctly!

I think you mean whinge, as in their whinging is making you cringe.

I was surprised at the almost universal cringing on the thread about people having a sing a long in the queue to get into Tesco.

I thought it sounded like fun and a nice way to break up the monotony, but almost everyone who commented were turning themselves inside out due to how cringeworthy they thought it was.

people having a sing a long in the queue to get into Tesco.

Oh lord! Cringing, mortified and scundered to the point of turning inside out.

Ohgod I'm always cringing. People do/say/write such toe-curling stuff.

Don't people cringe watching things on TV?

Especially flash mobs and practical jokes.

practical jokes I need to leave this thread now, as I’m finding all these examples are triggering.

goes off chuckling at thought of the word ‘triggering’ possibly making posters cringe

Remember 'Beadle's About'? I challenge anyone to watch that and not eat their own cardigan sleeve with cringe.

Oh my Ghia, that program was the stuff of nightmares.

Surely saying something "is cringe" is just shorthand for saying something "is cringeworthy"?

YANBU OP. Maybe it's just me but I consider it a mean thing that teenagers say and adults grow out of.